Catch Me
by KuuipoGirlxo
Summary: I need to protect- " "What? To protect your precious reputation?" She spat, cutting him off. "No! To protect you." Gabriella wishes she had got to say goodbye to Troy properly.


**Hey! I haven't written a story in a while, but I've got a new oneshot for anyone who reads my stories lol. BTW I only checked this once, so if there is any spelling/grammar mistakes, I apologise. I have to give some credit too my great msn buddy Lottie (hoodie sistaaa...mate :P lol) as she helped me with some of the ideas for this oneshot. Thanks hun! :D**

**Disclaimer : Unfortunately I do not own High School Musical. Disney does :( lol**

**Ok hereee goes. Please Read and Review. Reviews are great, and I really like constructive criticism, but don't be too harsh please ;) lol**

**Ok I'll shut up now :P**

**Enjoy....**

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Gabriella Montez couldn't believe where she was heading. She wasn't even crying. She was numb. This couldn't be real. It took all of the 18 year old's strength to not jump out of the moving car, and run her way back home.

"Gabi? Are you okay?" It only took a single glare from her daughter, for Maria Montez to curse at her question. "I'm sorry. Very stupid question." After a couple more moments of silence, Maria heard her daughters shaky voice speak up.

"Mom?" She asked, the tears brimming her eyes for what had to be the hundrenth time in the last week.

"Yes Mija?" She replied glancing at her broken daughter, before turning her attention back to the road.

"I want to go home"  
"What?" Maria said whipping her head round to the girl, whos tears were now free-falling.

"Take me home, please." She cried, Maria quickly pulled over, on to the side of the country road, before casting her attention to her sobbing child.  
"Gabriella. I know this is hard. But you have to go. Its his fu-"  
"Don't say it!" She sobbed into her hands. Maria could hear her younger self's heart break, there and then.  
"Oh Gabi" She said pulling her little girl into her arms, as she did when she had grazed her knee as a lively child. This time the injury was much, much deeper, and neither was sure if it would ever be fixed. "I know this isn't what you want to hear, but he's gone Gabi." Gabriella's body wracked with sobs as she felt her throat closing up.

"But, I'm not ready to say goodbye..."

Technically, Gabriella had already said "goodbye" to him, several weeks before.

_"Gabriella. I'm sorry. But this is for the best. I need to protect- " Troy said shakily kneeling before her.  
"What? To protect your precious reputation?" She spat, cutting him off._

_"No! To protect you." He replied holding her tear-stained face in his hands._

_"Yeah....right" She scoffed in response turning her head, to try and free herself from his grasp._

_"Gabriella." he said firmly while pulling her head back to look at him. "You know what those West High guys are like! I don't want you caught up in that. I won't let you get caught up in that."_

_"Troy, I'm a big girl. I can look after myself." she sniffed looking into his cerulean eyes. Troy loosened his grip on his face and wiped away a couple of stray tears._

_"Still. I don't want take any chances." Troy saw Gabriella roll her eyes. "Gabi. I know your confused right now, but you'll understand someday....I promise."_

_"Promise" She sighed tipping her head back slightly. "I remembered you promised me you loved me. You promised you'd never hurt me...This hurts Troy."_

_"I know." He sighed, moving his hands down to grasp her own tiny ones. "I do love you Gabriella. And thats why I have to do this. I can't risk you getting hurt, not because of me. You don't know what they are capable of Gabriella." The brunette's eyes widened at that._

_"I don't know what they are capable of?!" She scoffed tearing her hands away from his."They've beaten you up twice! They've put my cousin in hospital!! I think I know exactly what they are capable of!"_

_"Exactly!" Troy yelled, standing up. "And I don't want the same to happen to you! But if we stay together.....it will. They'll hurt you, to get at me." Gabriella didn't respond, just looked down, and willed her tears to stop. Troy reached forward to pull Gabriella up to his level. Her eyes still stayed glued to the floor.  
"I don't want us to end, Troy" she whispered. Troy lifted her chin slightly, so his eyes met her. He saw more tears had fallen._

_"Neither do I." He said tangling a hand in her raven hair. "But its not gonna be forever babe." He smiled slightly, possibly trying to convince himself that, more than her. He placed a soft kiss to her temple before looking at her with a serious expression. "I'm gonna end this Gabi. Once and for all. I'm not gonna take their shit anymore." Gabriella scrunched her brow._

_"What are you gonna do?"_

She hadn't wanted to break up with him. And he hadn't wanted to break up with her. But according to Troy they "had" to, for her safety. Which made her blame herself for his end. She'll never forget the day she felt her whole world collapse around her.

_Gabriella closed the door softly behind her, as she sighed and made her way up to her room. As always, Troy occupied her mind. Ever since they had "broken up" 2 weeks ago, East Highs golden couple, hadn't spoke, not even comunicated in any way. Only sparing glances had been exchanged in the cafeteria, and small, but never genuine smiles. The smiles would only be genuine, if they were still together. They were both miserable without eachother. And since their parting, the 18 year old, had to wonder if Troy was avoiding her. Him not being at school that day only confirmed her beliefs._

_"Gabriella" The calling of her name broke her out of the daydream. "Can you come down here for a second?" The tone of her mothers voice worried her, and the the young girl shot through the living room door imedietley._

_"Yes mo-" she stopped when she saw the look in her mothers eye, and the tear running down her cheek."Mom, whats happened?" She asked in panic._

_"I think you should sit down" Maria said gestering to the couch.  
"No! Just tell me whats going on Mom!!" Gabriella yelled desperately._

_"I'm not sure how to tell you this but.... Troy." The mention of her "ex boyfriend"'s name had made her heart beat faster than it already was "He got into an accident."  
"What kind of accident?" Gabriella asked blankly, holding her breath._

_"He was stabbed, Gabi." Maria said, tears running down her cheeks. "He didn't make it." Gabriella just stood there, as she could phsically feel her heart breaking. The world was spinning. She felt like she couldn't breath. Gabriella stumbled backwards, grabbing at anything, settling on a plant pot, she empty her stomach, as she threw up what she felt was everything she had ever consumed. This couldn't be happening._

_"No." was all Gabriella Montez had to say._

Gabriella shook her head, willing the memory to dissapear.

"Gabriella. I know this is hard. I've lost the love of my life too, remember." She did remember, under almost the same circumstances, a 7 year old Gabriella Montez skipped her way home from school to se her Mother sitting on the couch, the same way she had with the death of Troy. All it took was Gabriella to see her mothers grieving eyes to know something terrible had happened. And surely enough, a couple of minutes later, the younger Montez had been told her Father had died in a tragic car accident. She was crushed. Even though Gabriella was extremely close to her mother, she had always considered herself a "daddys girl". Often they would go camping for weekends, and laugh more than they would of thought possible. She had always thought that her father would be the only man she could rely on, even after he had gone. That was until she was 15 years old, when she had met Troy Bolton at the Ski Lodge. He was....gorgeous. Breathtaking. Albeit with shaggy hair, and a cheesy grin. His eyes were so blue, even though it sounded cheesy, she seriously believed that she could get lost in them. And she had. Several times, Troy would catch Gabriella just staring at him. While Gabriella just blushed, Troy would smirk and wink at her. God he knew how to drive her crazy.

_Did. _

Past tence.

Gabriella sobbed harder against her mothers shoulder.

"Gabriella." Her mother repeated pushing at her daughters shoulders and lifting her head to get her to look at her. "This may have to be the hardest thing you'll ever have to do, but if you don't go, you'll regret it, for the rest of your life. Trust me. I almost never went to your fathers funeral. But my own mother convinced me, that if I didn't say goodbye to him that day, I would never be able to. And she was so right. It would have been my biggest regret, if I had missed saying goodbye....even if I wasn't ready." Several more tears had escaped Gabriella's eyes during her mothers confession. Gabriella just nodded solemly. Maria gave her a small smile and squeezed her shoulder before turning back to the road and switching the engine back on. Gabriella closed her eyes. And there he was. His image had been there everytime she closed her eyes. It was like he was haunting her. It was his face the last time she had saw him. The day before she had lost his life.

_There he goes again._

_Pretending he was happy._

_Laughing with his friends._

_Gabriella could see through his smile. She knew him too well._

_He didn't even glance at her today. She felt invisible. Like he had never been in love with her. Like she never had meant anything to him._

_He was dressed in a simple blue t-shirt, and jeans. Simple but gorgeous. He was always gorgeous._

_He was the most caring, sweet guy she had ever known. So why was he ignoring her now? Why was he acting as if she wasn't even there._

_Gabriella took the books for her next period out of her locker, before closing it and walking away. She gave one more look over her shoulder at Troy. He was looking at her. Her breath hitched in her throat. He just looked, with no expression, a blank haze in his perfect blue eyes. She knew he was hurting too. And just as quick as he had looked at her, he had turned back, putting on his best fake laugh for his friends as he dissapeared down the hallway._

That look on his face will remain with her forever. The face of a broken hearted boy, that wouldn't admit he was broken hearted. She shrugged it off at the time, figuring she would see him again the next day. She was wrong. Oh god she was wrong. Little did she know she would never see his face again. Gabriella turned her attention out of the window, as she willed the tears not to fall. She grimaced when the car passed the school. The place where Troy Bolton wasn't just Troy Bolton. He was _THE _Troy Bolton. Every single girl would fall at his feet. And yet he picked her. Gabriella. _THE _freaky math girl. But Troy had seen passed the equations, and the science experiments she was known for. And he saw her. The girl who once laughed so hard at something he'd said the milkshake she was drinking came out of her nose. The girl who would get hours of pleasure out of reading Wuthering Heights for the 57th time. The girl who was self-admittedly shy, but still had the courage to stand up to Sharpay Evans, and himself when they had stepped out of line. He loved her. And Gabriella knew he loved her. But she wished she had got to hear it one last time. She wished she could kiss his heavenly lips and stare into is cyan eyes. But thatthats all they would be; wishes. Because he was gone. And one day, maybe Gabriella would have to come to terms with that.

"Gabi, honey?" Her mothers warm tone of voice broke her out of her thoughts. "We're here." Those simple two words made the unshed tears stream down Gabriella's face. "You can do this sweetheart. I know you can." Gabriella just nodded and shakily reached for the door handle.

The cool Albuerque air hit her, and Gabriella suddenly felt very self-concious in her simple black strappy dress. What was she thinking? She was going to her boyfriends funeral, not a freaking strip club. Her self loathing was interupted by the shaky voice of Troy's curly haired best friend.

"Hey Gabs." He said trying to force a small smile onto his face. Gabriella looked up at the boy and could instantly tell he'd been crying.

"Hi." she said, not even bothering to cover her heartbroken tone of voice. They looked at eachother for a couple of seconds before Chad pulled her into a big hug. Suddenly the tears we falling from both of there eyes."

"I'm so sorry Gabs." He sobbed into her hair.

"Ditto." was all she could choke out, burying her head into his shoulder. Some part of her wished he'd magically transform into Troy. Chad was a great friend. He really was. But she wanted nothing more than to be in Troy's strong embrace, rather than his best friend.

"I was there." Chad sniffled. "When he died." Gabriella looked up at him with a shocked expression.

"What?" She whispered.

"He died in my arms Gabi." He sobbed, burying his head in his hands. Gabriella was shell shocked. She'd never seen Chad cry before. And frankly she hadn't a clue what to do to comfort him.

"I- I. I don't know what to say." Gabriella cried. Chad looked at her solemnly.

"You don't have to say anything." He said wiping her tears from his face. "But I need to tell you something. Well actually Troy needed to say something. But I guess he didn't have the time."

"Okay." The petite girl said releasing a shaky breath. "Here?" She said suddenly noticing they were still in the parking lot. Chad looked around, and then grabbed her hand.

"No lets go inside." He noticed Gabriella flinching when he held her hand and he immedietly let it go. "Oh I'm sorry, that was stupid of me."

"No its okay." Gabriella sighed. " I just- Uhh, when someone holds my hand I just wish it was Troy." She said, the tears streaming again. "Sorry, I'm so stupid."

"No. Your not. I understand" He said with a small comforting smile before nodding his head in the direction of the church. Gabriella nodded and followed. This was not how she imagined she'd be walking into a church. With tears and a broken heart, wearing black. She wanted to be walking into a church to the bridal march, wearing a beautiful white gown, and seeing her soon to be husband staring back at her with all of the love in the world. But instead; he was still at the front of the church. But in a wooden box. And today was the day, she'd not vow to spend the rest of their lives together. But to vow to never forget him. Because his life was already over. Chad slipped into one of the rows at the back of the church where no-one else was currently seated.

"Okay." Chad started shakily. " Troy wanted me to tell you something."

_"No!" Chad yelled as he ran to his best friends side. He currently ignored the knife wielding thugs, who by now were running as fast as they could away from the crime scene. "No. No. No. Oh god. Troy, can you hear me?!" He yelled in panic._

_"Yeah." He said clearly in pain. _

_"Oh god Troy. Your gonna be alright hoops, I promise." Troy scoffed through his agony._

_"Promise" Troy sighed. "What a word that is. I've said it way to often." Chad was crying by now. "What you crying for?" Troy said, suddenly wincing looking down at his wound which was now bleeding profusely._

_"Your gonna be alright." He repeated, pulling out his phone and dialling 911. "Yeah? Ambulance please."_

_"What are you calling them for? They'll never get here in time." _

_"No. Don't say that Troy." Your not gonna leave me. Your not gonna leave Gabi."_

_"Gabi." He said with a small painful smile. "My Brie..." He said, now his own tears welling up. "You've gotta tell her something for me man."_

_"No." Chad repeated, "You'll be able to tell her yourself. Your not gonna die."_

_"Chad. Don't lie to me. We both know I'm not gonna survive this." Chad shook his head, his tears falling onto Troy's face. "Please" He begged. "Just tell her this for me." Chad just nodded. "You've gotta tell my Brie, that I love her. You've gotta tell her that I'm so sorry I broke up with her. And that no matter how "happy" I looked at school, I wasn't. I was miserable, because I lost the only thing thats ever made me happy. I lost her. And she was everything. I loved her more than life itself." By now Chad was sobbing, as was Troy. "Just make sure you tell her that Chad." He finished, as he winced once more._

_"I promise hoops." He said as he saw his friends eyes slowly shut. "No! No! Troy!" He cried, just as he heard sirens. "Look Troy! The ambulance is here! They're gonna take care of you." He kept repeating. Even though he knew full well he was gone. Chad just hugged his best friend to his body and sobbed harder than he'd ever before. In the end the paramedics had to prize his body off of his deceased friend. And he had to accept that Troy was right. They'd got there too late._

"I still haven't been able to get the blood off of my clothes." Chad shuddered. "But I can't seem to throw them away....its like the last thing I have of him....his blood." He scoffed as fresh tears cascaded down his tanned face. Gabriella sat there in silence, not knowing what to say.

"I'm sorry Chad." She began "I- I don't know what to say again." She half laughed, half cried. Chad just pulled the small girl into a tight hug.

"Its ok." She soothed. "At least those bastards who did it to him are getting whats coming to them." Gabriella pulled away, to look at him.

"Did you tell the police?" She asked in a small voice.

"Of course." He replied "It took me a couple of days to get round to doing it though. For the first two days I didn't want to face up to the fact he was gone."

"Me neither." She agreed. "I never got to tell him I love him one last time." She sobbed into her small hands.

"He knew Gabs" He said placing his hand on her shoulder."He always knew." Gabriella shook her head making the tears fall quicker.

"No." She cried. "I was so mean to him when he broke up with him. I didn't understand why....now I do." He petite body wracked with sobs. "Please tell me he's not gone Chad." She looked into his glossy eyes. "Please." She begged. "I can't live without him...I just can't"

"Stop it Gabriella." He cried. "I can't bring him back. Believe me if I could, I would. But I can't." Gabriella needed to scream. To run. To cry. To....just get out of here. Chad was startled when Gabriella shot towards the front of the church. She slowed as she neared the coffin. She gingerly rose her hand to touch the wooden box. The tears began to form once again, knowing Troy was inside.

"Troy." She breathed out. "My Troy." She cried. "I'm sorry for crying. I know you don't like to see me cry." She wiped her tears, but it didn't seem make a difference. "I love you wild- Troy." She said sincerley. "So much. I love you so much. And I'm so sorry I never said that to you one last time. Gabriella remembered the last time she had said she'd loved Troy.

_"What?!" Troy laughed. "Marshmallows on a pizza?!" He said holding her hands, as he was seated on the Bolton's kitchens counter, as Gabriella was standing between his legs._

_"What?" Gabriella giggled. "I'm weird when it comes to pizza toppings, sue me." She said sticking her tongue out for effect. Troy just smiled at her adorableness._

_"Freak." he said under his breath, with a smirk." Gabriella feigned shock, and slapped his knee._

_"Hey!" She said before bursting out laughing and looking up at her boyfriend lovingly. "I love you." she giggled, but the words still held their sincerity._

_"I love you too." He said kissing her nose, and then laughed when she crinkled it cutely. "Okaay then, lets order this freaky pizza." It was Troy's turn to stick out his tongue._

That was the day before Troy broke up with her. Now that she thought about it he was acting a bit weird that night...

_"You okay wildcat?" Gabriella asked looking over to her boyfriend who was biting his nails, obviously in deep thought."Your very quiet tonight." Troy's head shot around._

_"Oh! Yeah, I-I'm fine." He stuttered and Gabriella just raised an eyebrow. "But I drive you home, its getting kinda late." He said getting up from the couch and and grabbing his car keys._

_"But its only 9pm, Troy." She half giggled._

_"Yeah well." He said forcing a laugh. "We wouldn't want your mom getting worried would we?" _

_"I guess not." She said her heart dropping slightly, as she stepped out into the cool Albuerque night. "But your coming round for brownies tommorow right?" _

_"Of course." He said opening the passenger door for Gabriella. She smiled at him before stepping into the white truck. Troy quickly darted to the other side of the truck and hopped in. The short drive was fairly quiet between the young couple._

_They soon arrived at Gabriella's home. _

_"So I'll see you tommorow yeah?" She said with a smile, while they stood on her doorstep._

_"Yup." He said, still somewhat awkward._

_"Okay." she sighed, deciding thats the best she'd get tonight. She leaned in to press her lips to his. She was suprised when he didn't deepen the kiss like he always did. "Night Troy." She said willing not to cry._

_"Night." He said placing a chaste kiss to her cheek before walking back to his beaten up truck. _

"I understand now, Troy." She said before kissing the name plaque on his coffin. And running down the aisle of the church and straight out of the doors, ignoring the looks of panic from Chad and her mother. Maria went to go after her but Chad put up a hand to stop her.

"I think she needs time to think, Ms Montez." He nodded."She'll come back when shes ready." Gabriella's worried mother nodded slightly and sat back down.

Gabriella was running. Where? She didn't know. But she was running. Faster than she ever had. The rain hitting her in the face as she sprinted. Her heart was beating so hard she thought it would explode out of her chest. Her face was soaked. The girl couldn't tell which were raindrops and which were tears. But it was mostly likely more of the latter.

The senior was shocked when she saw her destination. East High School. The place she a Troy had reunited. The place where they had broken the status quo. The place where they were breaking free. Gabriella walked into the building, ignoring the stares from the people who expected her to be at Troy's funeral. She didn't care what people thought. But she knew her wanted destination now. After 2 minutes she was there.

The rooftop. Her and Troys "place" She sighed as she breathed the fresh air, mixed with the scent of the flowers. This was her favourite place in the world. But now she had no-one to share it with. Gabriella tentively walked to the edge of the roof grabbing ahold of the railing. She tipped her head back and felt the rain on her face, just had she done mere months before.

_Gabriella laughed as she felt her self being swung around in the rain. Her head tipped back to appreciate the pure bliss of being in her boyfriends arms and them being in their special hideout. _

She tipped her head forward, not wanting to cry again. Gabriella's small fingers ran over the railings. Without thinking she lifted a leg over the edge, and then the other sitting over the edge. She was afraid of heights. But she tried not to think about that, she just needed more space to breathe. Thunder stormed overhead, as the rain beated heavier on her black hair, making it stick to her face, and obstruct her view. She felt the bar she was sitting on begin to get slippery, so she decided to get down. Gabriella climbed back over the railing leaving her to lean her back against the railing. Before she knew it she had climbed back over the railing. No support behind her. She grabbed onto the slippery railing as her heels teetered over the edge. She felt her self loosen her grip on the bar. Was she going to do what she thought she was going to do?

She let go of the bar.

Feeling the air swish around her.

As she decended to the ground.

"Catch me, Troy." she whispered as she saw a pool of white consuming her.

Strong arms embraced her body.

She didn't need to look at their face.

She knew.

He knew.

He'd caught her.

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**I know that ending was pretty cheesy, but ah well lol**

**Hope you enjoyed it. Pretty please review XD**


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